To Be Or Not to Be--Shakespeare Carolina Presents Hamlet

Quick Facts

This updated adaptation of "Hamlet" will feature a live score from the Department of Music's Jill O'Neill. Show times are 8 p.m. Aug. 8-10 and Aug. 15-17 with 3 p.m. shows Aug. 11 and 18. During Welcome Week, tickets are $5 for students with a Welcome Week pass. Regularly, tickets are $10 with a Winthrop ID and $15 to the general public. It is a cultural event.

James Cartee and Caryn Crye

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The popular question “To be, or not to be?” will be answered on Aug. 8 when the Shakespeare Carolina troop performs “Hamlet” at Winthrop University’s Johnson Theatre.

Fresh off a two-week run of “A Comedy of Errors,” Shakespeare Carolina will tackle the more serious William Shakespeare play about Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, who is confronted with betrayal and murder. After Hamlet sees the ghost of his murdered father, he learns a shocking truth from the apparition and sets out on an unforgettable chain of events with tragic consequences.

Artistic Director Chris O’Neill will be at the helm of the updated adaptation. In a description for “Hamlet,” O’Neill pointed out that “Hamlet” is an “iconic story and an ageless reminder of the terrible damage done to any culture by those who seek power at the expense of their humanity.”

Cast members include: James Cartee as Hamlet; Karen Surprise as his mother, Gertrude; Harold Skinner as Claudius; David Hayes as Horatio; Caryn Crye as Ophelia; S. Wilson Lee as Polonius; Charles Homes as Laertes; and Dennis DeJesus and David Hensley as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, respectively.

Shakespeare Carolina is a culturally diverse organization that promotes color and gender blind casting. Shakespeare Carolina seeks to promote the universality of the classical canon to audiences that may not otherwise be exposed to the works of world’s greatest playwright. It is Shakespeare Carolina’s goal to grow into one of the region’s premiere cultural institutions, providing educational outreach as well as educational, technical and artistic opportunities for all segments of York County’s population. It is currently in its 10th season and its third residency at Winthrop.

Show times are 8 p.m. Aug. 8-10 and Aug. 15-17 with 3 p.m. shows Aug. 11 and 18. During Welcome Week, tickets are $5 for students with a Welcome Week pass. Regularly, tickets are $10 with a Winthrop ID and $15 to the general public. It is a cultural event.